Amusement apparatus



J. A. HEALY.

- AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATIONFILED MAY 9, 1921.

y 133985 14. v Patented Nov. 29 192i.

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J. A. HEALY.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLlcAUoN man MAY9.192|.

1,398,514, t Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

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g1. A. HEALY.

AMUSEIVIENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1921.

Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ortica.

JAMES A. HEALY, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. HEALY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAmusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements are designed to afford an entertaining and sensationalride over a prescribed endless route in which provision is made fordipping the cars alternately up and down inclines, and conveying themaround semi-circular curves in such manner as to afford amusement toboth riders and spectators,-the route being arranged essentially on amean level so as to be easily accessible for both use andobservation,-and the invention consisting in the specific combination,arrangement and construction of parts, devices and appliances describedand claimed, and distinctive features relating to the parallel dipchannels connected and united by means of reverse direction curves, themeans for car propulsion, etc., all as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l, is a plan of my improved amusement apparatus, the drivingmechanism being concealed by the medial platform;

Fig. 2, is a plan of one extremity of the route, parts of thefplatformbeing broken away to show the drive mechanism, etc.;

Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional elevation taken in a general way uponthe plane of line 3 3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4:, is a sectional detail showing a car upon a horizontal portionof the route channel F ig. 5, is a detail of a traction chain suitablefor use in the propulsion of the cars.

My endless channel runway R, for passenger cars C, consists oflongitudinal par-y allel, or substantially parallel, straight troughsR', R3, united by semi-circular return loops R2, R, the latter beingpreferably on a common horizontal level or plane, and connecting thestraight trough sections R', R2,- which extend over dips or inverselyinclined planes which merge at each extremity into saidy return loopsR2, R4. Thus the said semi-circular portions R2, R4, of the runway R,may be countersunk, as shown at the left of Fig. 3, below the mean orground level L, while the intermediate stretches of channel R', R3, dip7or incline Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Novf, 1921.

Application led May 9, 1921. Serial No. 467,794.

both downward and upward, said inclines being reversed medially,-as alsoindicated in said Fig. 3, of the drawings. That is to say, for instance,starting from the semicircular loop R2, aty the left of Figs. l, 2 and3, the floor ofthe channel is formed with the downward incline z', whichmerges medially of the length of -the straight stretch R3, of channelinto the upward inoline '11', which merges into the horizontal floor 2,of the semi-circular return loop R4, said horizontal floor 2, extendingto and merging' into the upward incline 3, of the straight run R', whichupward incline 3, merges in turn into the downward incline 4,terminating in the semi-circular return oop R2.

I have thus shown and described inverted 4inclines c', z", 2, i3, andit, in the ioor of the channel runway R, extending both above and belowthe mean horizontal plane Vof 'said floor in the two semi-circularreturn loops R2, R4, although I do not limit myself to the identicalarrangement here given by way of exemplifying the possibilities of myvsystem of inclined dip and curvilinear swing runway, consistingessentially of straight channels formed with reversed inclined planesand connected by semi-circular return loop channels; 'since it isobvious that the inverted inclines on both straight runways R', R3, maybe depressed as in the latter (R3) below the mean floor level of thereturn loops R2, R4, or elevated above said mean floor level of theloops R2, R4, as in the stretch R', with substantially like results inthat the cars C, traversing the entire route of the endless channelrunway R, will be alternately raised and depressed, or run up and downhill, so to speak, while crossing the portions of the runwayintermediate between the semi-circular return :loops R2, R4, andthenduring the transicause the cars are safeguarded on both sidesthroughout the route by the side walls of the runwayI- which side wallsare nearly as high a's the sides of the cars, as shown more particularlyin Figs. 3 and 5, of the drawings.

In this connection it will of course be Vunderstood that the cars C, areof course provided with bearing rollers c, c, preferably of the castertype, for contactual engagementwith the fioor and side walls of thechannel runway R; and that the cars are coupled together into an endlesschain by .ieans of flexible connections c', c', as shown moreparticularly in Fig. l, of the drawings.

The endless chain of cars C, may be driven or propelledthrough andaround the endless channel runway B., by resort to any suitable or wellknown mechanical expedients, preferably by means of endless sprocketchains S, S, countersunk in the floors of the straight portions R, R3,of the runway R, as indicated particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, of thedrawings, the upper strands s of said endless sprocket chains S, beingflush with the inclined portions of said runway floor, as shown in Fig.3, and said sprocket chains S, S, being driven by sprocket wheelsactuated through the medium of suitable shafting, gears, etc., by anelectric motor M, as exemplified in Fig. 2, or by any equivalent sourceof power that may be available for the purpose.

` As the drive-sprocket chains S, S, are located only in the straightsections R', R3, of the channelrunway R, l provide for connecting thecars C, therewith temporarily by means of gravity coupling bars cx,pivotally connected to the rear ends of the cars and adapted to trailover the solid surface of the door of the channel runway as shown inFig. 5, and to drop and engage automatically with the sprocket chains S,as illustrated in Fig. 3. As the cars pass beyond the sprocket chains S,the coupling bars cX automatically disengage therefrom.

lt will of course be understood that the straight portions R', R3, ofthe channel runway R, may be each made of sufficient length toaccommodate several inclined planes inverted as related to each other;and also that by the term inverted inclines as herein used, l mean toinclude either elevated or depressed (or both elevated and depressed)inclined planes as related to the horizontal licor planes of thesemi-circular return loops l, R4, as may be found most expedient inpractice, or desirable in producing special effects.

The driving mechanism, etc., is preferably positioned under a centralplatform P, as indicated in Fig. 2; and exterior platforms ly, also on acommon or mean level, may likewise be provided on a horizontal planecoincident with the upper edges of the semi-circular portions of thechannel runway lt, as indicated in connection with the return curve R2,on the left hand side of Fig. 3, of the drawings. f

l/Vhat l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis,

l. ln amusement apparatus of the character designated, the combinationof an endless channel runway comprising semi-circular return end loopsconnected by straight stretches of channel the floors of which arereversely inclined, an endless string of cars spaced apart in saidendless channel runway and coupled together by fiexible connections, andmeans of propelling said cars around said endless channel runway, forthe pureose described.

2. ln amusement apparatus of the character designated, the combinationof an endless channel runway comprising semi-circular return end loopsconnected by straight stretches of channel the floors of which arereversely inclined, an endless string of cars spaced apart in saidendless channel runway, andcoupled together by flexible connections, andmeans of propelling said cars around said endless channel runway,consisting of power driven endless sprocket chains countersunk in thefloors of the straight stretches of the channel runway between thereturn end loops thereof, and coupling means on the cars adapted toengage automatically with said power driven endless sprocket chains, forthe purpose described. y

3. ln amusement apparatus of the character designated, the combinationof an endless channel runway comprising semi-circular ret-urn end loopsconnected by straight stretches of channel the floors of which arereversely inclined, an endless string of cars spaced apart in saidendless channel runway' and coupled together by flexible connections,and means of propelling said cars around said endless channel runway,consisting of power-driven endless sprocket hains countersunk in thefloors of the straight stretches of the channel runway between thereturn end loops thereof, and gravity bars pivotally attached to thecars and adapted to connect automatically with and disconnectautomatically from said sprocket drive chains, for the purpose setforth.

Janes A.. HEALY.

Witnesses DOROTHY MIATT, GEO. VM. MIATT.

